Short Summary

SIR CHARLES WHEELER, WHO WAS COMMISSIONED IN JUNE 1968 BY GHANA'S NATIONAL LIBERATION COUNCIL TO SCULPT AND CAST A BRONZE STATUE OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL EMMANUEL KWASI KOTOKA, IS COMPLETING THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE STATUE PRIOR TO ITS BEING SHIPPED TO GHANA ON 2 DECEMBER.

Description

SIR CHARLES WHEELER, WHO WAS COMMISSIONED IN JUNE 1968 BY GHANA'S NATIONAL LIBERATION COUNCIL TO SCULPT AND CAST A BRONZE STATUE OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL EMMANUEL KWASI KOTOKA, IS COMPLETING THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE STATUE PRIOR TO ITS BEING SHIPPED TO GHANA ON 2 DECEMBER.

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL KOTOKO WAS THE MAN WHO, AT 6 A.M. ON 24 FEBRUARY 1966, ANNOUNCED OVER RADIO GHANA, SEIZED ONLY A FEW MINUTES EARLIER, THAT THE ARMY, IN CO-OPERATION WITH GHANA POLICE, HAD TAKEN OVER THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA AND OUSTED DR. KWAME NKRUMAH.

HE SERVED AS COMMISSIONER FOR HEALTH AND DEFENCE IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT, AND LATER AS DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL LIBERATION COUNCIL AND GENERAL OFFICER COMMANDING THE GHANA ARMED FORCES, BUT, ON 17 APRIL 1967, AN ATTEMPT BY A SMALL SECTION OF THE GHANAIAN ARMY TO OVERTHROW THE REGIME OF THE NATIONAL LIBERATION COUNCIL, THOUGH FOILED BY THE OVERWHELMINGLY LOYAL ARMED FORCES, LED TO HIS DEATH. THE REBELS CAPTURED LIEUTENANT-GENERAL KOTOKA, HIS BATMAN, AND AN ARMY CAPTAIN, AND LATER THE BODIES OF ALL THREE WERE FOUND RIDDLED WITH BULLETS. THE GENERAL WAS GIVEN A STATE FUNERAL TWO DAY LATER, WHEN THOUSANDS OF MOURNERS DEMONSTRATED IN ACCRA TO EXPRESS THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE NATIONAL LIBERATION COUNCIL.

THE STATUE WILL BE SITED ON A HIGH PLATFORM OUTSIDE ACCRA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NEAR THE SPOT WHERE GENERAL MET HIS DEATH.

SIR CHARLES VISITED GHANA IN SEPTEMBER 1968 TO MEET THE GENERAL'S RELATIVES AND MAKE SKETCHES OF FAMILY LIKENESSES. HE WORKED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS BEFORE MAKING THE FIRST MODEL, OF CLAY, ONE-TWENTY- FOURTH THE SIZE OF THE PROPOSED STATUE.

THE FULL-SIZE STATUE, CAST IN BRONZE, IS 8FT. 6IN. (2.69 METRES) HIGH AND WEIGH 15 CWT. (ABOUT A METRIC TON). IT IS NOW BEING POLISHED BY THE SCULPTOR READY FOR SHIPPING, AND WILL BE UNVEILED IN ACCRA NEXT FEBRUARY.